Age-group differences in instructed emotion regulation effectiveness: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

Several theories of emotional development in adulthood provide the rationale for anticipating enhanced emotion regulation effectiveness (i.e., successful, goal-consistent regulation of emotions) with age. However, the existing empirical evidence is ambiguous. The aims of the present systematic review and meta-analysis were to investigate age-group differences in instructed emotion regulation effectiveness, and to explore whether age-group differences in instructed emotion regulation effectiveness vary according to person factors (i.e., age gap between age groups, gender distribution), the specific strategy (i.e., type of emotion regulation strategy), and situational factors (i.e., intensity and type of emotion to-be-regulated, emotion regulation goal, experimental context). PsycINFO and PubMed were searched for studies assessing age-group differences in instructed emotion regulation effectiveness in physically healthy adults. The literature search yielded 18 relevant studies conducted in laboratories (n = 1,366) and no relevant studies conducted in naturalistic settings. The meta-analyses indicated no statistically significant overall age-group differences (g = -0.01, p = .878). A statistically significant small effect favoring older adults was identified in a subgroup meta-analysis of studies assessing attentional focusing (g = -0.22, p = .027), while no other statistically significant results were identified. Together, these findings, albeit limited to a laboratory setting, indicate that instructed emotion regulation effectiveness remains largely stable in adulthood. The findings are discussed with reference to theoretical work emphasizing age-related changes in motivation (e.g., Socioemotional Selectivity Theory) and resources (e.g., Strength and Vulnerability Integration model). Limitations include the small number of studies and the limited generalizability of the findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).